MLB Player News

Rainey has posted a 6.58 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 22:18 K:BB through 26 innings with zero wins, saves or holds in 25 appearances.

A brutal start to the season is still tainting his ratios, but Rainey has actually been an effective relief arm for the last couple months. Over his last 12 appearances dating back to May 21, the 31-year-old right-hander has been scored upon only once, and he's compiled a 2.77 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through 13 innings over that stretch. Despite that improvement, Rainey is still a shell of the pitcher he was prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022. His 93.7 mph fastball average is a far cry from the 97.0 mph he was dialing up in 2022 before his elbow gave out, and his days as a viable high-leverage bullpen option appear to be over.

Weems has posted a 5.68 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 32:19 K:BB through 38 innings with one win and four holds in 37 appearances.

The converted catcher was a fairly reliable bullpen option for the Nationals in 2023, but Weems has regressed nearly across the board this season, with his 18.7 percent strikeout rate and 9.2 percent whiff rate being career lows. The 31-year-old righty hasn't picked up a hold since late April, and that seems unlikely to change in the second half.

Garcia has posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 47:11 K:BB through 32.2 innings with one win and 11 holds in 41 appearances.

The 28-year-old southpaw's ratios on the season aren't impressive, but they disguise the improvements he's made of late. Garcia has been scored upon only once in his last 12 trips to the mound, delivering a 0.97 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB through 10.1 innings during that stretch. He's the only left-hander in the Nationals' bullpen at the moment, but Garcia is emerging as a reliable high-leverage option for manager Dave Martinez, which should lead to more holds in the second half.

Ottavino has posted a 4.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 47:13 K:BB through 35 innings with one win, one save and 13 holds in 36 appearances.

The Mets' bullpen issues early in the season caused manager Carlos Mendoza to lean heavily on Ottavino, but the workload appears to have caught up with the 38-year-old righty. While his 30.7 percent strikeout rate is among the better marks in his career, Ottavino's 42.4 percent groundball rate is his lowest since he was pitching for the Rockies in 2017. He's also recorded only one of his 13 holds over the last month, as younger relief arms like Dedniel Nunez and Reed Garrett (elbow) have moved into high-leverage roles. If the Mets add further bullpen reinforcements ahead of the trade deadline, Ottavino's usage as a setup man for Edwin Diaz could decline even further.

Cronin has posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 49:17 K:BB through 46 innings with one win, two holds and zero saves over 33 appearances.

Claimed off waivers over the winter, Cronin gave the Marlins some quality innings early in the season in a low-leverage role. The league may have figured the right-hander out however -- over his last 12 appearances, he carries a rough 8.27 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. Cronin's biggest strength is a 54.5 percent groundball rate, but he's still been somewhat fortunate to have allowed zero homers so far in 2024. If that luck runs out, further regression could be coming for his ERA. Even if Miami ships out high-leverage relievers like Tanner Scott by the trade deadline, Cronin seems unlikely to take over a prominent role.

Bummer has posted a 3.62 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 37:11 K:BB through 32.1 innings with two wins, zero saves and zero holds through 33 appearances.

Acquired from the White Sox in the offseason to bolster Atlanta's relief corps, Bummer hasn't been able to claim a high-leverage role in a much deeper bullpen than he was part of in Chicago. The southpaw has been effective at keeping the ball in the park, serving up only one homer despite a 54.9 percent groundball rate that's his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2017. Barring a rash of injuries ahead of him in the pecking order, Bummer will likely continue working in middle relief in the second half, limiting his fantasy value even in formats that use holds as well as saves.

Helsley was replaced Monday on the National League All-Star Game roster with Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan.

Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Helsley said that he wasn't likely to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game and instead wished to get rest over the All-Star break. The 29-year-old closer confirmed he was healthy and is merely monitoring his workload, having already appeared in 41 games and thrown 42 innings this season. Helsley's career high in appearances is 54, and he hasn't pitched more than 64.2 innings in any individual season.

Finnegan was named to the National League All-Star team Monday.

Finnegan wasn't initially named an All-Star, but he'll be available to make his first appearance in the Midsummer Classic after being added as a replacement on the roster for Ryan Helsley. The 32-year-old has the third-most saves in baseball (25) and has recorded a 2.45 ERA across 40.1 innings.

The Rockies designated Rogers for assignment Monday.

One day after getting optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, Rogers now finds himself off the Rockies' 40-man roster after Colorado claimed lefty Antoine Kelly off waivers from Texas in a corresponding move. Before his demotion, Rogers had made five appearances at the big-league level this season, giving up seven earned runs on 12 hits and two walks over 9.1 innings. Rogers will likely stick around with the Rockies as bullpen depth at Albuquerque if he clears waivers.

Stratton (tricep) will begin a rehab assignment Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

The right-hander has been on the shelf since June 14 with a tricep strain but has now reached the final stage of his throwing progression. He'll likely need at least a couple of tune-up outings in the minors before being activated from the 15-day injured list, potentially as soon as Friday, when the Pirates open their second-half schedule. Stratton turned in a 4.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP while gathering two wins, one save and four holds over 31.2 innings before landing on the IL.